Apples and onions topped the list of a
cancer-prevention study. Here’s why: Apples and onions are sources for
quercetin, one of the most beneficial of flavenols, and could play a role in
preventing and reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer, a study has found.
All participants in the study experienced reduced risk, however, smokers who
consumed foods rich in flavenols experienced a significantly greater
reduction.

Researchers tracked the food intake and
health outcomes for 183,518 participants in the Multiethnic Cohort Study for
eight years. The study evaluated the food consumption of participants and
calculated the flavenol intake (for quercetin, kaempferol and myricetin).
The study determined that flavenol intake does have an impact on the risk
for developing pancreatic cancer. Smokers with the lowest intake of
flavenols presented with the most pancreatic cancer, researchers say. It was
also determined that women in the study had the highest flavenol intake
(when compared with men), and 70 percent of the intake came from quercetin,
which is linked to apple and onion consumption.

Flavenols are found in many plants and
found in high concentrations in apples, onions, tea, berries, kale and
broccoli. Quercetin is most plentiful in apples and onions.

The research was originally published in
the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Grape Juice: The
new red wine?

Concord grape juice stimulates an
arterial relaxation effect similar to that credited to red wine, laboratory
research has found. The results were presented at the WineHealth 2007
conference in
Bordeaux
,
France
. In fact, the grape juice produced a prolonged relaxation effect that red
wine has not been cited as stimulating. Researchers say the grape juice
causes a vasorelaxation effect by stimulating the production of nitric
oxide, which is known to be important in maintaining healthy, flexible blood
vessels and helps support healthy blood pressures. The effect of the grape
juice lasted for up to six hours, significantly longer than effects noted
from red wine. The research seems to point to the benefit coming from the
grapes themselves, rather than the alcohol. Concord grape juice is believed
to have a blood-pressure-lowering effect, so if you’re looking for an
alternative to the red-wine fix, this may be the answer.

seniors
and sleep

Not sleeping well can lead to problems,
especially for older adults, research has found. Depression, attention and
memory problems, excessive daytime sleepiness and nighttime falls can all
occur as a result of poor nighttime sleeping. According to the
American
Academy
of Sleep Medicine, some of the more common sleep disorders in older adults
include:

• Insomnia, which affects almost half
of adults 60 and older.

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which
can elevate the risk for high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and
cognitive problems. Snoring, a symptom of OSA, is a very common condition
affecting nearly 40% of adults, and is more common in older people.

• Restless legs syndrome, which can
cause people to jerk and kick their legs every 20 to 40 seconds during
sleep, is evident in almost 40% of older adults.

Follow
these tips to get a better night’s sleep:

Establish a routine sleep schedule.

Avoid using the bed for anything
other than sleep and intimacy.

Avoid substances that disturb your
sleep, like alcohol or caffeine.

Avoid daytime naps. If you must take
a nap, limit the time to less than one hour and no later than 3 p.m.

Stick to rituals that help you relax
each night before going to bed. This can include things like a warm
bath, a light snack or a few minutes of reading.

Don’t take your worries to bed.
Bedtime is a time to relax, not to hash out the stresses of the day.

If you can’t fall asleep, leave
your bedroom and engage in a quiet activity. Return to bed only when you
are tired.